Four ways to take charge of your energy levels this summer

This is a commercial collaboration with GoodnessMe.

There's no doubt that 2020 has brought with it a great deal of challenges faced by individuals, households and communities as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

One of the biggest challenges has been a drastic decrease in healthy eating habits. According to a recent CSIRO study, almost 40 per cent of Australians felt like they gained weight as a result of the country's first COVID-19 lockdown.

The national survey of 4,000 also found that 66 per cent of respondents were exiting lockdown with feelings of lessened exercise, while 36 per cent felt their diets had worsened.

With the arrival of summer however comes a renewed desire to boost energy levels and enter the new year with enhanced feelings of health and wellbeing.

Here are four ways to take charge of your energy levels this summer and enter 2021 with a more positive outlook. It is a new year, after all!

One: Eat more wholefoods (and regularly)

During the COVID-19 lockdown, many people turned to food as a source of comfort, resulting in large bouts of iso weight-gain around the country.

As restrictions eased however, people started to regain control of their choices and how they were fuelling their bodies.

When it comes to eating, smaller portion sizes of wholesome, organic food consumed at more regular intervals throughout the day can provide more of an energy boost than larger meals eaten three times a day - which can often leave you feeling bloated and lacking in energy.

Signing up for a GoodnessMe Box is one way to have easy access to natural, wholesome foods that aim to nourish your body from the inside out.

With the option of purchasing a Health Box, this subscription-based model delivers nutritionist-approved boxes direct to your doorstep and curates your box's contents according to your dietary requirements. They're full of delicious snack options, pantry staples and refined sugar-free treats which will help you improve your eating habits for good!

Two: Mindful sugar intake

Eating foods that are high in refined sugar can often give you an immediate boost of energy but the thing is, this is shortly followed by a crash and burn, leaving you feeling more lethargic.

The GoodnessMe Health Boxes are packed with delicious guilt-free treats that are perfect for snacking but lacking any added nasties. The contain nutritionist-approved natural sweeteners including rice malt syrup, coconut sugar, dates and maple syrup, just to name a few (so you can have your cake and eat it, too!).

Three: Eliminate foods with additives

It is hard to find foods these days that aren't loaded with artificial additives (thanks to cost and demand on extended shelf-life), but your body deserves so much better than eating foods with added preservatives if you're seeking a healthy energy boost.

With GoodnessMe, you can take comfort in knowing that all products are GMO-free, natural, nutritionist-approved and consciously curated. The contents of each box are decided on with the help of some very picky health practitioners who sift through thousands of products before undertaking a super-strict GoodnessMe ethically wholesome and GMO-free test.

Four: Regular exercise

This is a no-brainer, but with the warmer weather comes more opportunities to incorporate exercise into one's daily routine.

Whether that means riding your bike around the neighbourhood for 10 minutes a day, or walking to work instead of taking the car, an exercise regime that doesn't feel like extra work can make all the difference when it comes to boosting one's energy levels.

Regular exercise is also great for cardiovascular health, managing health and boosting your immunity, just to name a few.

As the year of the struggle comes to a close, and we look to 2021 with hope and anticipation, it is important that we do all we can to regain the physical and mental strength we may have misplaced over the last few months.

GoodnessMe can give us the kick-start we need when it comes to making more mindful choices. Combine that with a little bit of TLC, and we can enter the new year feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and with a pep in our step.